Auto-rack railroad cars have been utilized for many years to transport automobiles, light trucks, and other like vehicles over great distances via the railroads. Specifically, the auto-rack railroad car generally is compartmentalized, having at least one level, but in many cases two or three levels, where automobiles may be parked for transport of the same. Typically, to protect the automobiles transported therein, auto-rack railroad cars typically have mesh-type or perforated side panels and a roof thereover. Doors for loading and unloading of vehicles are typically found on opposite ends thereof. The levels on which the vehicles sit are typically decks containing a means for securing the vehicles to the decks. An example of a deck for this purpose is a metal floor grating system, and the vehicles' wheels typically rest on the decks. The present invention comprises apparatuses for securing vehicle wheels to the metal floor grating systems.
Auto-rack railroad cars provide an effective and efficient way to transport large numbers of vehicles from one location to another. However, a problem associated with auto-rack railroad cars is the potential for damage to automobiles transported therein or the auto-rack railroad cars themselves. For instance, an automobile that is not secured within the auto-rack railroad car may move during transport, contacting other automobiles, the side panels, or the ends of the car, causing damage to the automobile and, perhaps, other automobiles as well.
Typically, automobiles are secured to the metal floor grating system via mechanisms designed to restrict movement of the tires of the automobiles. For example, chains with winches and ratchets may be used as tie-downs to attempt to secure the automobiles' tires to the deck thereof. However, tie-downs may be prone to failure, are often difficult and time-consuming to set up, and have the potential to damage vehicles. A need, therefore, exists for an automobile restraint system that is easy to set-up and robust to prevent movement of automobiles in auto-rack railroad cars without failing.
Other mechanisms developed to restrict tire movement in auto-rack railroad cars include various types of wheel chocks that may be placed abutting the vehicles' tires. Typically, these wheel chocks are placed adjacent to said vehicles' tires, disposed on a deck of the auto-rack railroad cars to anchor the same to prevent movement of the automobiles' tires during transport.
Typically, however, these wheel chocks are difficult to set up. Specifically, wheel chocks are relatively large and heavy apparatuses that are difficult to carry or otherwise move and operate by a user. Often, users must place the wheel chocks in proper positioning within tight confines, such as within auto-rack railroad cars after the cars are full of automobiles. A need, therefore, exists for wheel chock apparatuses and methods of using the same that are easy to manually move and manipulate to place in proper locations to engage the tires of automobiles.
Moreover, in many cases the wheel chocks are placed on the decks of the auto-rack railroad cars and are configured to engage the metal floor grating system. However, it is often difficult for a user to properly align the wheel chocks in a manner to properly engage the metal floor grating system. In addition, it is often difficult for a user to clamp onto the metal grating system after alignment thereof, often requiring manual manipulation of a complicated clamping system. A need exists, therefore, for a wheel chock apparatus and methods of using the same that easily clamps to a metal grating system of a deck in an auto-rack railroad car.
Relatedly, it is often difficult to remove a wheel chock from a deck once disposed thereon for restricting an automobile. Often, a user must manually release the wheel chock from the deck, and doing so may be relatively complicated. In addition, while one typically wants a wheel chock to maintain its connection to a deck during transport of automobiles, it is often difficult to release the wheel chock when the same must be removed for removal of the automobile from the auto-rack railroad car. A need, therefore, exists for wheel chock apparatuses and methods of using the same that may be easily released from the deck of an auto-rack railroad car by a user thereof.
To restrict movement of automobile tires laterally when placed within auto-rack railroad cars, wheel chocks typically have lateral restraint bars that typically extend from the base of the wheel chock and engage the side of the automobile tire, with the wheel chock disposed either in front of or behind the automobile tire. Known wheel chocks are typically designated as either fitting on either an automobile tire's right side or left side, depending on the alignment of the wheel chock adjacent the automobile tire. This is so because typical wheel chocks only include a single lateral restraint bar, either on a right side of the wheel chock or the left side of the wheel chock. Therefore, a user must determine which wheel chock to use in a given situation. A need, therefore, exists for wheel chock apparatuses and methods of using the same that may be used whether the user wishes to restrain a vehicle's tire on the left or right side thereof, and further that a user thereof is not required to determine whether the wheel chock fits in a given situation.